Follow-up Regarding Senior High School Incident

The Dubuque Community School District has received numerous inquiries regarding Wednesday’s incident during which a student was in possession of a BB gun in a vehicle parked adjacent to Senior High School.

On Wednesday morning, a parent noticed a student holding a gun (not knowing what type of gun it was) and immediately reported it to police. The Dubuque Police Department responded promptly to the vehicle and the school to address any potential threat that may have existed.

Not knowing what (if any) threat existed, the school district and police department took steps to address the situation. The student involved was removed from classes while the incident was investigated. This was not a disciplinary move, but was done to minimize the significant disruption that happened during the school day and maintain the most normal environment for the other 1,600 students at the school. In today’s world, with acts of violence happening in schools across the country, we strive to always put the safety of our students, staff and others in our school buildings first.

Following the school investigation, there was no disciplinary action taken by the school. The time the student was out of class during the investigation does not go on the student’s permanent record. Any further investigation into the violation of City of Dubuque ordinances is being conducted by the Dubuque Police Department.